We Have Snow!

Dear Mom, Dad, Ursula, and Kitties,

Ho! Ho! Ho! I know it's not Christmas, but we finally have snow on the ground and I feel very merry. I like to run around in it, slipping and sliding as my lean and lithe body bends into those turns. (Lynn says to tell you that, with all the walking, playing, and running that I do, I am maintaining my weight and not getting floofy. Whatever that means.)

Craig and I went out for a walk this morning and the snow was really coming down hard! I ended up looking sort of like a reverse Dalmatian - kind of funny. Lynn and Craig keep a big fluffy towel right by the door and rub me down whenever I am wet with snow or rain. I've had a lot of rub downs today, but I don't mind! I wriggle with happiness when they wrap me up and dry me off! (And they wonder why I go out more frequently when it's rainy or snowy! Hahaha!)

Do you know what "winsome" means? It means "sweetly or innocently charming, winning, engaging" according to Lynn's dictionary. She says this picture of me is winsome.

I had been playing with my favorite donut squeaky toy and decided to chew on my kong for a while. (Yes, there is a tennis ball in the picture but Lynn says that I am doing a better job of not having them all over the floor.) Somehow the donut got onto my leg like a bracelet. Lynn snapped a photo of me just as I looked up at her. I will admit (modestly), my eyes look awfully big, brown, and beautiful. I'm going to ask Lynn to send this photo to my Nacho. Maybe Kathy will put it in a locket on his collar.

Anyway! Enough about me - I wanted to tell you how Molly just about made Lynn cry yesterday. Millie and Molly spend Wednesdays and Fridays with us while their mom, Lisa, is at work. I LOVE having them here (although Millie chews MY bones, antlers, and toys without asking. She needs to learn some manners.)

Well, Molly, as you know, is a rescue who came from a terrible place and has many fears and anxieties. She has been with Lisa, Lynn, and Craig for two years but still gets very frightened sometimes. Recently she has been letting Lynn rub her belly, and even invites her to do so by rolling onto her side when she sees Lynn and lifting up her hind leg so that Lynn can get to her favorite spot.

Yesterday Molly invited her to rub her belly, and when Lynn reached down to do so, Molly lifted her head and touched her nose to Lynn's nose! She has never, ever done that, although she will occasionally touch Lynn's leg (my family calls that "booping.") If Molly boops you on the leg or backside, it is a time for celebration. To be booped on the nose is absolutely unheard of!  Lynn is still smiling about that and says she is so glad that Molly felt comfortable enough to boop her nose.

Lynn just reminded me that I should ask you how you are and how things with Ursula are going. She has let me listen in to all her phone calls (Lynn corrects me and says that there is no "letting" me. Since I am always by her side, there is no privacy in this house with me around so, of course I heard those phone calls! But she smiled when she said that, so I think she likes having me tag along wherever she or Craig are.)

Please tell Ursula, "Ralph! Ralph! Ralph! woofiytywoof, BARK!" I just told her where I hid a few things. Nothing big, just a nylabone or two. She is welcome to them!

YAWN. I think it is time for another nap so I am going to say goodbye. Love to everybody!

xoxoxoxoxox
Pep

Walking the Tippecanoe Battlefield

Howdy There, Mom!

(Lynn is a horsey girl, so I am giving you a real, live, cowgirl greeting!)

How are things at The Seeing Eye in New Jersey? Lynn was telling me a little about what you and Ursula are doing in your training together, and boy did it bring back memories. Please tell Ursula that I am rooting for her and want her to be your best guide ever - after all, I love you and want you well taken care of!

Lynn was saying earlier this week that I have "settled in." I am not quite sure what she means by that, but I think she means that I am totally comfortable here. It's true -  I know the daily routines, I have been everywhere that she and Craig go, and I am comfortable in everything we do. Please know that I am happy.

One of the things I love best (second only to eating) is all the walks that we take. I get out at least twice a day (and often three times) for a jaunt around the park or the neighborhood. And once in a while, we get in the car and go some place to walk. That's always fun!

 One of my favorite places to go is the Tippecanoe Battlefield, site of the Battle of Tippecanoe. (Click that for more information.) It's a huge park along Burnett Creek and there are immense old trees in it, some that were here at the time of the Battle in 1811. (They know that because, during a recent ice storm, limbs from some of the oldest trees came down. When the groundspeople tried to put those through the wood chipper, they had to stop because there were so many musket balls embedded in the wood!)

 Photo of Craig and me walking through the grounds of the battlefield.

Lynn's mother was an author and wrote seven books on the history of Tippecanoe county, including the Battle of Tippecanoe. She also was a founder of The Feast of the Hunters' Moon, a huge festival held here to celebrate 18th century life at Fort Ouiatenon. (You can click on "The Feast of the Hunters' Moon" and "Fort Ouiatenon" in the previous sentence and that will take you to links about them.)

As a result of her mom's contributions to preserving the local history, she was honored after she died with a tree planted on the battlefield in 2017. It's a burr oak and Lynn goes out every December and hangs a Christmas ornament on it in memory of her mother.

Lynn and me standing in front of the burr oak. There are two ornaments on the tree, a bird one from Lynn and a red striped ball from Lynn's sister, Leslie.

Me sniffing under one of the ginormous old trees as we walk. Craig is holding my leash.

There is a mass grave on the grounds that very few people know about. It is where the dead from both sides were buried together. Lynn showed me where it is and she got very quiet. She says she feels that she is standing on holy ground and always prays for those who are buried there.

Photo of me striding along the top of the ridge above Burnett Creek. 

So many good smells! (And Cocoa Puffs, too!) I will admit that I got a bit distracted by all those yummy smells (and tastes.)

Craig petting me as we figure out who is going to go in which direction and sort out the leash. I wasn't watching where I was going and got it wrapped around a tree. Oops! Lynn thought that that was funny.

Brrr! It's chilly today! But I am still ready to go walk, and Lynn and Craig have told me about other places that they want to take me - I can hardly wait! (I hope they have Cocoa Puffs!)

Sending big hugs, kisses, and wiggles!
Love,

Peppermint Patty

Meet Nacho's Family!

Dear Mumzie,

How do you like that spelling of your name? It's British! One of Lynn's all-time favorite books is The One Hundred and One Dalmatians and it takes place in England. That's what the British call their mothers with "Mumzie" being the affectionate form. And since I DO love you, I'm using the affectionate form!

Did you know that there are black Labradors in that book? Well, actually, they are really Dalmatians, 99 of them, disguised as Labradors by rolling in soot to hide themselves from Cruella DeVille. I think that was a pretty smart thing for them to do. But why did only 99 disguise themselves when the book is about 101 of them? When I asked Lynn, she told me to read the book and find out because the answer is a spoiler. (Boy, you can sure tell that she was a teacher!)

Anyway, I know you are busy learning to work with Ursula but I wanted to drop you a quick note. Please tell her that I am so happy that she is stepping in to be your guide and how lucky she is to have you. I am sad that I am no longer able to be there for you, but at the same time, I am relieved to hear that she is loving you and doing a good job.  Having said that, will you please pass this on to her? "Woofwoofwoof! Arfarooo! Pantpantpantpant. Bark! Bark! Bark!" While that is a personal message from me to her, the gist of it is that I am telling her to do her very best and take care of you for me. Sort of a passing of the dog bone on to her, you know?

I wanted to introduce you to Nacho's grandparents. This is Bill and Mary Ann Hiller, Kathy's folks.

Paparazzi Lynn snapped this photo just before Christmas of me with them at their home. They're sitting on the couch and both are petting me with big smiles on their faces. They love me!

Here they are with Kathy sitting on the floor in front of them. Nacho and I are next to her, and that Mr. Romance is sneaking a kiss to me! I am bowing my head and acting appropriately modest, of course.

And this is a photo of me sitting with Kathy, her arms wrapped around me and both of us smiling. Mumzie, I sure am a lucky girl to have so many wonderful people in my life who love me!

Going along with that British theme, I remain,

Mistress Lady Pepper

Retirement is Awesome

Happy New Year, Mom!

Lynn tells me the you are in New Jersey and have a new guide named Ursala. Congratulations! I have been worried about you and am glad you have a new dog to not only help you get around to all your commitments, but to snuggle and be friends with, too. Welcome, Ursula!

I am doing great  and love retirement. My days are very full with visits with Mille and Molly several times a week, several walks a day, extended naps on the princess and the pea bed, and lots of belly rubs. Please do not worry about me and just concentrate on Ursula and getting to know her. 

Me cuddled up on top of the princess and the pea bed. See that rolled up blanket on the windowsill? Lynn was concerned that there might be a cold draft blowing on me, so she stuffed it in there to block the chill.

Remember I told you about the neighbors who gave me twenty-six tennis balls? (Lynn would like me to insert here that at least five of them are on the living room floor and do I really need that many out all at once? Silly Lynn! Of course I do!)

Me, lying on the floor in the living room with my head pillowed on a fabric frisbee and a nylabone between my paws. The biggest of my two antlers is next to me, and there is another nylabone and ONE, let me say that again, ONE tennis ball on the floor by my tail. Lynn exaggerates about the number of tennis balls I get out. (Yes, there are six on the floor behind the couch but they don't count.)

Anyway! Lynn and Craig decided that it might be a good idea to keep a couple of the tennis balls outside on the back patio. Oh, how I love to go out in our yard - lots of bunnies hop through it and I love to follow their trails. (Lynn and Craig frown on me eating bunny poop. I don't know why - they look just like Kelloggs Cocoa Puffs and are just as good in my opinion.)

Craig is especially good at throwing the tennis balls for me. The yard is very large and I can stretch my legs out and RUN. I get really low to the ground and twist and turn, chasing the balls he launches. Do I get a workout! (Which helps me keep my body sleek and svelte for Nacho! Swoon!!)

I also help Lynn keep her two bird feeders full of seeds, and I am especially good at vacuuming up any seeds that she spills. Lynn tells me to leave that for the birds and simply will not budge about that, even when I tell her that seeds are healthy and I am just getting a birdie version of granola.

You know that we guide dogs are very smart (and I say that in all modesty) but I figured out how to have a ball handy as I help Lynn work in the yard.

I just drop it right underneath the bird feeder! That way, I know just where to find it when we come outside to play. (And sometimes it has bird granola on it - I can lick that off when I pick up the ball and neither Lynn nor Craig are the wiser! (Lynn would like to insert that phrase, "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed" here. I'm not sure what she means.)

Speaking of beds, you will NEVER guess what! Craig has repeatedly said that he really does not want me to get on their furniture or on their bed. Well, to her surprise, Lynn, who was up very early, walked into the bedroom this morning to get something and found Craig cuddling me! Yep, I was up on the bed and he had not told me that I had to get down. He'd let me stay! After she got over her surprise, she said to Craig, "You old softy!" and went back upstairs to work. Meanwhile, he and I went back to sleep snuggled together. (It was awfully early, after all!)

Oh, my, I just heard the frying pan! Craig must be making eggs, and most days he scrambles one just for me! Gotta go! Say "hi" to Ursala from me!

Happy bounces,

Pepper